"Share the road," cyclists urge. "Motorcycles are everywhere," bumper stickers remind us. So often, though, drivers and cyclists forget that their mutual safety relies on knowing how best to operate their own vehicles.
With the last warm days of fall quickly slipping away and gas prices reaching nearly $3 a gallon, many people are choosing bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds over cars and trucks for making their daily commutes.
While motorcycles might seem to be nothing more than bikes with motors, riding a motorcycle is more complicated than just pushing pedals and keeping your shoelaces out of the spokes.
Like drivers, pilots and sailors, motorcyclists must be well-versed in the proper safety precautions for operating their vehicles - from protective gear to weather considerations to proper hand signals.
However, drivers must know the rules, too. Car and truck operators have a responsibility to learn the precautions they can take to ensure their safety and that of the cyclists around them. Drivers must be vigilant in checking their blind spots and should educate themselves as to just what it means when a biker sticks out his arm at a right angle.
For everyone on the road, of course, the key to safety is your senses: Your eyes and ears are your greatest asset when operating any vehicle. Being alert and well-informed is the best precaution you can ever take.
Road safety has become more significant on this campus following the death of motorcyclist Joshua Hudson on Sept. 9. Although there is currently no information about the greatest contributing factor, what we can know is how to change our own behavior in response to the tragedy because our increased awareness and sensitivity can benefit everyone.
That process begins by each of us increasing our own knowledge about the vehicles we man and the safest ways we can take to the road - regardless of whether we're traveling on two wheels or four.
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